Helicopter Noise Complaints Soar On Parts Of Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — As Upper East Siders have spent the bulk of this year cooped up in their homes, complaints to 311 about noisy helicopters hovering over the neighborhood have risen compared to last year, city data shows.

In the five ZIP codes that cover the Upper East Side, 137 complaints about helicopters had been filed this year through Sunday. That's a nearly 46 percent increase compared to 2019, when 94 copter complaints were made.

Citywide, the trend has been even more severe: complaints across the five boroughs had risen by more than 130 percent through mid-November compared to last year, with Manhattan seeing the largest chunk of this year's complaints, according to a report by THE CITY.

A map of the Upper East Side addresses where noisy helicopters were spotted shows a cluster along the east side of Central Park, between roughly 82nd and 96th streets. That's in line with recent reports about helicopters disrupting the park's tranquility, with likely culprits including private flight companies that give tourists the chance to soar overhead.

City Councilmember Keith Powers, whose district includes that stretch of Fifth Avenue, told Patch that "helicopter noise has been an ongoing concern among my constituents."

"Over the past several months, with neighboring colleagues, my office has worked to address this noise and requested that the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] step in," Powers said in a statement. "People want to enjoy the sights of New York, but the impact to quality of life must be considered."

Try to enjoy Central Park with three helicopters above you at all times... all day every day. UWS also plagued with them, you can't work or relax so that tourists from NJ can get their stupid show selfie with @FlyNYON pic.twitter.com/9ppa7r7kGT
— ConcernedUWSider (@sider_uw) November 28, 2020

The uptick appears to have multiple causes. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney told THE CITY that some tourist helicopters venture into the city from out of state, allowing them to skirt New York regulations on where they can fly. Ride-hail companies like Uber Copter and Blade, as well as the NYPD's use of helicopters during this summer's protests were also factors, she said.

Meanwhile, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer has convinced the FAA to join a task force about helicopter noise in the city as she works to gather data about the complaints, she told Gotham Gazette last month.

Here is the number of helicopter complaints made in each Upper East Side ZIP code through Sunday:

• 10021: 3 complaints (down from 8 in 2019)
• 10028: 33 complaints (up from 9 in 2019)
• 10065: 5 complaints (up from zero in 2019)
• 10075: 15 complaints (up from 7 in 2019)
• 10128: 81 complaints (up from 70 in 2019)

Related coverage from Patch: Noise Is Driving Stuck-At-Home New Yorkers Nuts, 311 Data Shows